


That’s an Order

by biotickaidan



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-07 22:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4280613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biotickaidan/pseuds/biotickaidan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For yesmassdragoneffect on tumblr, who wanted Shakarian with their Dinah Shepard that included innuendos and getting caught kissing during a mission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That’s an Order

**i.**  
Dinah Shepard was sick and tired of fighting Cerberus. And of course they were here, trying to tear Grissom Academy apart. If she never saw another Guardian or Phantom or Atlas in her life, she’d be happy. Unfortunately, she knew that wasn’t going to be the case.

            The only thing that made it slightly better was having Garrus back on her team. Since they’d left Palaven’s moon and agreed to secure an alliance with the krogan to help the turians’ effort against the reapers, things had been tense. She couldn’t imagine how she’d get the krogan to agree. But Garrus was her rock, by her side no matter what. She didn’t know what she’d do without him. And of course all the other benefits of having him back on the ship weren’t lost on either of them.

            They just needed to get through this mission and help Jack save her students. Then they could spend the rest of the day alone in her cabin on the Normandy. A much needed rest… among other things. But who said they couldn’t make this mission a little more fun? Dinah knew never to cross the line with Garrus. They were both extremely professional and the last thing she wanted to do was make him uncomfortable. Sometimes, though, she couldn’t resist a little battlefield flirting.

            Except it was going to have to wait because a Guardian was creeping up on James, and he was still dealing with a Phantom attacking from his left flank. _Shit_. She lined up her shot, looking through her scope and sighting the slot in its shield. Dinah took a breath, inhaling steadily, then pulled the trigger on her exhale. She smirked slightly as its head exploded in a spray of gore. The perfect shot.

            James’ appreciative whistle came through her comm link. He’d just taken down the very persistent Phantom. “Shit, Lola, was that you?”

            “Of course.”

He let out a shaky breath. “Thanks.”

            “No problem.”

Garrus returned to her side after taking out two more Guardians and a Nemesis. “Wicked shot,” he commented.

            She winked. “Why, thank you. But simple flattery won’t get you into my armor.”

His expression faltered for a moment, and Dinah knew he was imagining her stripping off her armor, revealing her undersuit and then her naked skin. She smiled mischievously. “But it might help,” she whispered.

            Then she was once again all business, leaving Garrus to recover on his own as she spoke into her comm. “It’s clear. We need to keep moving,” she commanded. “Jack’s waiting for us with her students.”

            “Right behind you, Shepard,” Garrus confirmed.

He would’ve sounded perfectly professional to anyone else, but she detected the slightly lower note in his voice. _Like the view, Mr. Vakarian?_ she was tempted to shoot back, but she restrained herself.

            “Yeah, lead the way, Lola,” James echoed.

 **ii.**  
What she was forced to lead them into was hell. It started out all right–a few Assault Troopers, only one Nemesis; but then waves of Cerberus troops converged on them, this time with at least ten Engineers deploying turrets. Dinah took out as many as of the turrets as she could with her sniper, then killed the other Engineers who’d yet to place their weapons by hitting them with multiple concussive shots.

            James and Garrus were both injured, their shields down. She ducked behind cover, taking a deep breath and opened her omnitool to check their status. They weren’t doing horrible, but both of them were too worse for wear to move on right now. Dinah quickly connected her ‘tool to their suits’ medical systems and deployed medigel. “You guys good?” she asked, panting from her own exertion. Her shields were down too, and she was fairly certain she was bleeding from her abdomen, but they didn’t need to know that. Especially not Garrus. He’d worry too much even though he knew she could handle herself just fine.

            “Yeah.” James’ voice was weaker than it should be, but she knew he’d be prepared to move when they had to.

            “What about you, Garrus?” A hint of worry clouded her voice, betraying her feelings. While she liked taking him on missions because they were a perfect team and fighting alongside him was pretty hot, it didn’t stop her from worrying about him either. Dinah couldn’t deny that her feelings were a lot deeper than she ever expected them to be.

            “I’m fine, Shepard,” he finally assured her. But his answer had taken too long for her liking and his voice sounded strained. She popped out from behind the crate she’d used for cover and glanced around. No more enemies for the moment. He was about twenty meters away, so she took her chance and ran to his side.

            Garrus was leaning back against a low wall. She knelt next to him and brought her hand to his face, stroking her thumb along his cheek and guiding him to look up at her. “Hey, are you okay?” Her voice was soft, gentle, the complete opposite of her earlier teasing and the way she usually spoke during combat–shouting orders and checking in methodically. With him, right now, that faded away and Dinah spoke so tenderly, she surprised herself.

            “I told you, I’m fine.”

            “You better not be lying.” She kissed him. “That’s an order.”

He nodded. “I know.”

            “Good. Now, don’t scare me like that again.” She helped him up and kept his hand in hers, giving it a light squeeze.

            At that exact moment, James came up behind them. “Wait, you two? You guys are…? Really?”

            Dinah fixed him with a glare as if to say, _That has nothing to with the mission, does it?_ But, for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to mind all that much.

            “Right, sorry. None of my business,” James said hurriedly.

            “Exactly.” Except she took another moment to look over at Garrus and give him a small smile. She didn’t know what she’d have done if he hadn’t been all right. And it sort of scared her to admit that. “Let’s move out.”

 **iii.**  
When they were safely back on the shuttle, she didn’t hear the end of it from Jack. “Aren’t these two disgusting?” She gestured at Dinah and Garrus and looked pointedly at James, the question clearly directed at him.

            “Actually, I didn’t realize until today.”

            “Oh my god, are you blind?” She let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Oh, wait. You’re new. You weren’t there when we were fighting the Collectors. They thought no one knew, but they’re actually not very good at sneaking around if you ask me.”

            Dinah rolled her eyes. She was dead-tired but oddly happy, resting her head against Garrus’ shoulder and holding his hand. Somehow his talons fit perfectly between her fingers.

            “Look at them,” Jack exclaimed. “Tell me, how many times have you popped his heat sink?”

            Dinah blushed furiously and Garrus let out a very weird noise, halfway between a chuckle and a wheeze. James looked like he wished he’d never heard this conversation.

            “See,” Jack continued. “Gross.”

Shaking her head, Dinah raised her middle finger in response, and before she thought better of it boldly lifted her head up and kissed Garrus right then and there. She didn’t much care that Jack made a fake retching noise or that the whole ship would surely find out now if they didn’t already know. She decided she didn’t need to hide that it was Garrus who made her happy even in the midst of war.


End file.
